Abstract: A method for operating a surroundings-detection system of a vehicle includes at least one transceiver unit emitting a frequency-modulated signal and receiving echo signals of the emitted frequency-modulated signal. The received echo signals are associated with reflection sources, and a piece of information about the speed of the reflection source relative to the transceiver unit is ascertained on the basis of the received echo signals.

Abstract: An ultrasonic transmission and reception device is described. This includes a transmission circuit for generating a transmission signal at its transmission outputs and, an ultrasonic transducer, which is suited for converting electrical signals into sound signals and sound signals into electrical signals, a transformer, the primary side of which is connected to the transmission outputs and of the transmission circuit and the secondary side of which is connected to the ultrasonic transducer, and a reception circuit for processing a received signal present at its reception input.

Abstract: A method for acoustically sensing an area is described. An acoustic transmit pulse is transmitted into the area by an acoustic transducer and a received signal is acquired with the aid of the transducer, in order to receive the transmit pulse reflected back from the area. Within a post-pulse oscillation time of the transducer, which directly follows the emission of the transmit pulse, the actual phase response of the received signal is determined. In the event the actual phase response deviates from a predefined setpoint phase response, an object is detected within the area. Also described is a device for acoustically sensing an area, which is designed to carry out the method.

Abstract: In a method and a device for determining the position of an object in relation to a vehicle, for use in a driver assistance system of the vehicle, a first ultrasound pulse is transmitted by an ultrasound sensor situated on the vehicle, the ultrasound pulse including multiple predefined transmission frequencies which result in a variation of the directional characteristic of the ultrasound sensor. The transmitted first ultrasound pulse is reflected on the object and is received again as a first echo pulse. A frequency spectrum of the first echo pulse is subsequently determined, and a first absolute value of a relative offset angle of the object is determined as a function of the frequency spectrum of the first echo pulse and the directional characteristics.

Abstract: An ultrasonic measuring system is described for detecting an obstacle using a resonant transducer element for transmitting an ultrasonic pulse and for generating a received signal which includes the ultrasonic echo pulse reflected from the obstacle, the transducer element generating a decay signal having its resonance frequency after transmitting an ultrasonic pulse. The ultrasonic measuring system includes an evaluation unit having a control unit which is designed to activate the transducer element for transmitting the ultrasonic pulse with the aid of a frequency-modulated transmitted signal generated by the control unit, the frequency modulation taking place with the aid of a modulation signal in such a way that the to signature of the ultrasonic pulse differs from that of the decay signal.

Abstract: A sensor device described having a sensor, in particular an ultrasound sensor, having a generating and detecting arrangement to generate and detect waves, in particular sound waves, the detection arrangement converting received waves into electric signals, and the electric signals being evaluable by an evaluation unit. A function-monitoring device is configured to determine an impedance characteristic curve of the sensor as a function of an excitation frequency is provided. Also described is a method for operating the sensor device.

Abstract: A method for acoustically sensing an area is described. An acoustic transmit pulse is transmitted into the area by an acoustic transducer and a received signal is acquired with the aid of the transducer, in order to receive the transmit pulse reflected back from the area. Within a post-pulse oscillation time of the transducer, which directly follows the emission of the transmit pulse, the actual phase response of the received signal is determined. In the event the actual phase response deviates from a predefined setpoint phase response, an object is detected within the area. Also described is a device for acoustically sensing an area, which is designed to carry out the method.

Abstract: In a method and a device for determining the position of an object in relation to a vehicle, for use in a driver assistance system of the vehicle, a first ultrasound pulse is transmitted by an ultrasound sensor situated on the vehicle, the ultrasound pulse including multiple predefined transmission frequencies which result in a variation of the directional characteristic of the ultrasound sensor. The transmitted first ultrasound pulse is reflected on the object and is received again as a first echo pulse. A frequency spectrum of the first echo pulse is subsequently determined, and a first absolute value of a relative offset angle of the object is determined as a function of the frequency spectrum of the first echo pulse and the directional characteristics.

Abstract: In a method and a device for detecting the surroundings, carrier waves in the form of transmission pulses are transmitted by at least one transducer, and reflections of the pulses are detected by the pulse-echo method. In this manner, the successive transmission pulses of one transducer or various transducers operated at the same time are differentiable by individual signal modulation.

Abstract: A method for mapping surroundings of a vehicle, objects in the surroundings of the vehicle being detected with the aid of sensors and particular detected objects being described by two coordinate points and also by a position fuzziness assigned to the particular coordinate point, the coordinate points and the position fuzziness values being stored in an interface in the form of data which may be accessed by driver assistance systems of the vehicle. A method is also described for ascertaining the collision probability of a vehicle with an object, in which the surroundings of the vehicle are initially mapped using the method for mapping the surroundings of a vehicle, a travel path to be traveled by the vehicle is ascertained in a subsequent step, and the degree of overlap between the object and the travel path and also the collision probability are finally determined, taking the position fuzziness into account.

Abstract: A sensor device described having a sensor, in particular an ultrasound sensor, having a generating and detecting arrangement to generate and detect waves, in particular sound waves, the detection arrangement converting received waves into electric signals, and the electric signals being evaluable by an evaluation unit. A function-monitoring device is configured to determine an impedance characteristic curve of the sensor as a function of an excitation frequency is provided. Also described is a method for operating the sensor device.

Abstract: A parking assistance system for outputting parking instructions to the driver of a vehicle has a sensor device which is designed for performing a parking space measurement on the basis of parking space limits and generating parking space information on the basis of the parking space measurement; a program-controlled device which calculates the driving trajectory to be traveled on the basis of the parking space information generated and calculates a time to collision and/or a distance to collision, within which the vehicle will presumably collide with one of the parking space limits, from the parking space information generated and the calculated driving trajectory; and a warning signal transducer which generates a warning signal if the calculated period of time is less than a first limit value and/or the calculated distance to collision is less than a second limit value.

Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor is described, in which a time curve for the sensitivity is specified via threshold values which are assigned to individual interpolation points. The position in time of the interpolation points for the ultrasonic sensor is variable.

Abstract: In a method and a device for detecting the surroundings, carrier waves in the form of transmission pulses are transmitted by at least one transducer, and reflections of the pulses are detected by the pulse-echo method. In this manner, the successive transmission pulses of one transducer or various transducers operated at the same time are differentiable by individual signal modulation.

Abstract: In a method and an apparatus for detecting defective pixels of an image acquisition sensor, preferably in a driver assistance system, brightness values are evaluated statistically for each pixel while the image acquisition sensor is being operated as intended for image acquisition, at least one comparable parameter being determined for statistical evaluation for each pixel from the ascertained brightness values, and that parameter being compared with at least one predefinable reference value; and a defective pixel being detected when the at least one parameter determined for the relevant pixel meets a predefinable condition with respect to the at least one reference value.

Abstract: A method and control for determining the tire diameters of a motor vehicle by comparing at least two opposite wheels. To provide the lowest possible measuring effort while simultaneously ensuring the highest possible precision, a driving maneuver including at least one cornering operation is defined as calibration drive, and the change in the vehicle orientation in the calibration drive is determined. The control includes sensors to determine the change in the vehicle orientation in a calibration drive.

Abstract: A control/evaluation system for a set of sensors, in particular in motor vehicles, has a plurality of areas, each of which has at least one controller and a plurality of sensor devices connected thereto; the controllers may be connected to each other for a common application function.

Abstract: A parking assistance system for outputting parking instructions to the driver of a vehicle has a sensor device which is designed for performing a parking space measurement on the basis of parking space limits and generating parking space information on the basis of the parking space measurement; a program-controlled device which calculates the driving trajectory to be traveled on the basis of the parking space information generated and calculates a time to collision and/or a distance to collision, within which the vehicle will presumably collide with one of the parking space limits, from the parking space information generated and the calculated driving trajectory; and a warning signal transducer which generates a warning signal if the calculated period of time is less than a first limit value and/or the calculated distance to collision is less than a second limit value.

Abstract: A device and method for regulating the speed of a vehicle during maneuvering/parking of the vehicle. The device may comprise a detection device for detecting objects within the surrounding area of the vehicle and for recording the distance to an object lying closest in the travel direction of the vehicle; a regulator for regulating the speed of the vehicle as a function of the position of an actuating device and of the distance to the most proximate object in the movement direction of the vehicle according to a predefined speed/distance relation; and a control device for automatically controlling a braking element and a driving device of the vehicle as a function of a corresponding output signal of the regulator.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a radar measuring device which, with a simple design, ensures reliable distance determination even when a mixed signal is zero, and a method for operating a radar measuring device. The radar measuring device includes: A high-frequency oscillator (11) which emits two different carrier frequency signals (F1, F2), A first switching device (14) for switching the carrier frequency signals (F1, F2) as a function of first pulse signals (P1) and emitting radar pulse signals (T1, 2), A transmission antenna (16) and a receiving antenna (18), A second switching device (24) for switching the carrier frequency signals as a function of a delayed second pulse signal (P2) and emitting delayed radar pulse signals (S1, 2), A mixing device (21) for mixing received radar signals (R1, 2) with the delayed radar pulse signals (S1, 2) and emitting mixed signals (M1, 2).